124 Gender and Space in Rural Britain, 1840–1920
Diplomacy and Colour Th eory
Anne Helmreich argues that Jekyll’s ‘iron-willed conviction wrapped in a self-
eff acing demeanor’ was a tactic not uncommon among women writers at this
time, who recognized its usefulness in allowing them to succeed in their pro-
fessional work whilst simultaneously maintaining a legitimate feminine air.^44
It was all the more apparent when comparing the writings of female writers to
their male counterparts. Although Robinson and Jekyll were colleagues, their
tone and manner of relating to their readers was largely in contrast – Robinson,
oft en brusque and unabashedly opinionated, and Jekyll, though assertive, typi-
cally more gentle. Th e Robinson scholar Richard Bisgrove states that ‘the tone
of the journal soft ened noticeably as a result of her involvement’.^45 Th is refl ects
Jekyll’s use of a stereotypical feminine tone that imparted trust and acceptance
to her readers and to her colleagues. Robinson, in contrast, ‘was a belligerent and
capricious character with strongly held, sometimes (especially in later life) con-
tradictory, views, who was not afraid to criticize his contemporaries, especially
landscape architects’.^46 Although he was successful, ‘[s]ooner or later Robinson’s
proverbial tetchiness alienated almost everyone he dealt with’.^47 It is possible he
recognized Jekyll’s promising ability to use tact successfully, a talent he was with-
out, which, in addition to her horticultural skill, prompted him to hire her as a
writer for the Garden. However, examples of her employing both a soft er and
more forceful tone exist, which indicates a contrast between the more socially
accepted gentle tones of the female voice and the assertive tones of a woman pas-
sionate about her work and eager to reinforce best practice.
Robinson’s introduction to Jekyll’s ‘Colour in the Flower Garden’ demon-
strates the clear contrast between their tones, particularly on the subject about
which Jekyll was most ardent: colour. Robinson writes: ‘Considering so-called
laws of colour, usually false, laid down by writers on “decoration”, is a waste of
time’.^48 Th e fact that colour theory was a contemporary point of contention
is clear from this comment. Robinson’s views on the subject were that ‘nature
knows best and that colour planning is therefore unnecessary’. In his introduc-
tion to Jekyll’s chapter, he wrote that simple beds of fl owers should be suffi cient,
knowing full well that the chapter was devoted to laws of colour and complex
fl ower beds of complementing tints and shades. He continues: ‘As, however,
many may not be ready to follow this plan, the following notes on colour, by one
who is an excellent fl ower gardener and has given much thought to the subject,
will, I hope, be useful to them’.^49
Robinson’s backhanded compliment demonstrates his ‘outspoken nature
and his generally condescending attitude to the fairer sex’.^50 His strong opin-
ions against utilizing artistic laws are the polar opposite to Jekyll, who constantly
applied her artistic training to garden design and, in her writings, asserted its
importance. Aft er his introduction, she begins the chapter by stating that ‘one